Bowling ball exit mechanism



Feb. 1, 1966 w. L. BESSINGER BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1962 INVENTOR.

W 444mm Mam 0?? Feb. 1, 1966 w.':.. BESSINGER BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1962 Feb. 1, 1966 w. L. BESSINGER 3,232,612

BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 1, 1966 w. L. BESSINGER BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed May 8, 1962 f/ j 1 i Feb. 1, 1966 w. BESSINGER BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,232,612 BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM Walter L. Bessinger, Grand Haven, Micln, assignor to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 8, 1962, Ser. N 0. 193,216 7 Claims. (Cl. 27349) This invention relates to nism, and more bowling ball on bowling ball handling mechaparticularly to a ball exit for placing a the return track of a bowling alley.

In the use of automatic pinsetters, it is highly desirable to return the bowling ball to the bowlers end of the alley in the least possible time. This necessitates rapid and positive ball removal from the pit, as well as immediate ball placement on the bowling ball return track.

In view of this, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved quick-acting door mechanism normally closing a ball exit from the pit which will allow a ball to pass therethrough while the door is in the process of opening.

Another object of this invention i to provide a simple, yet positive, single ball door which needs no external operating power, other than the presence of a rotating bowling ball.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism including a single ball door which will operate to handle balls one at a time from two adjacent alleys without malfunctioning if more than one ball is awaiting passage through said door.

A further object of this invention is to provide a movably mounted ball exit blocking member having a flexible portion allowing said member to change size during operation to permit quick removal of the ball from the alley pit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide new and improved means for permitting one ball at a time to be placed on the ball return track through a ball exit closing member having a flexible portion which contributes to ball acceleration as the ball door closes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a single, quick-acting ball exit door in a bowling alley pit powered only by a rotating bowling ball, the rotating ball being directed downwardly to engage and open the ball exit door by means located on a pit cushion.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken plan view of the pit end of a pair of bowling alleys showing the pit mechanism and a common bowling ball return system for the pair of alleys;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken generally along the line 22 in FIGURE 1, showing the door of the ball return system in its closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1 and showing the door of the ball return system in an opening position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and showing the door of the ball return system in a fully opened position;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the door of the ball return system;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the ball exit blocking mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 77 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the ball exit blocking mechanism located in the pit of a single bowling alley; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional side view of the third embodiment taken generally along the center line of FIGURE 8.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention together with modifications thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed. out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a broken plan view of the pit end of a pair of bowling alleys with a bowling ball exit mechanism generally shown at 10. This ball exit mechanism, as shown, is placed in an environment between two bowling alleys at the pit ends thereof. Included in the bowling alleys are alley beds 12 having pin spots 14, alley gutters 16 adjacent to said alley beds 12, and bowling alley pits at the rear end of said alley beds 12 having pit conveyors 18. The bowling alley pits include quick-acting ball removal angers 20 of the type disclosed in the copending application of Goodrich E. Pratt, Serial No. 138,513, filed September 15, 1961, and now Patent No. 3,132,862, pit cushions 22 spaced above the pit conveyor a distance greater than the diameter of a pin and less than that of a ball, and pin elevators 24 at the rear of said bowling alley pit.

Bowling pins and balls are cleared from the alley 12 as is well known in the art; and both pins and bells are delivered to the pit after which they are removed therefrom. The bowling pins pass over the ball moving auger 20, under the pit cushion 22, and to the rear of the pit conveyor 18 where the pins are then moved into the pin elevator 24, raised, and placed into an automatic pinsetter (not shown) for replacement on bowling alley pin spots 14 on alloy 12. At the same time, a bowling ball 26 rolls on pit conveyor 18 to bowling ball removing auger 20. This auger 20 is mounted transversely in the alley pit, and as shown in FIGURE 2 the upper surface of the auger protrudes through the pit conveyor 18. The auger is rotated as by belt 33 and is rotatably mounted as in bearing 21 on one side and similarly mounted at the other. The auger 20 is composed of lands 20a and grooves 20b generally forming a screw thread. As the ball is caught by the rotating auger thread, it is moved thereby along pit cushion 22 so that the ball 26 is placed adjacent the bowling ball exit mechanism 10 and is in position to be returned along the ball runway 23 to the bowlers end of the alley.

The ball return runway 23 consists of tracks which extend the length of alley bed 12 to the bowlers end of the alley between adjacent gutters 16. A ball accelerator 27 including belt 29 aids in returning the ball to the bowler as is known in the art. This ball accelerator also includes motor 23 which drives member 27 by means of belt 25. Member 27 drive belt 29 which in turn drives shaft 29'. Both belts 31 and 33 are driven by 29' and thus power is available to rotate both the ball removal angers 20 by belt 33 and the ball rotating member 319 by belt 31.

eferring now to the bowling ball exit mechanism 10, the device is best shown in its closed position in FIG- URE 2, where the ball is still in the bowling alley pit, and being moved toward the exit mechanism 11). The bowling ball exit mechanism consists of an opening 52 to allow the ball 26 to pass therethrough onto the return rails 28, and an opening blocking member including a door surface 34 with a flexible lip portion 38. As shown in FIGURE 5, the ball opening 52 is circular in shape, as is the door 34 shown with its periphery in broken lines beneath the opening 52. Flexible lip portion 38 fills a cut out U- shaped section 39 of door 34 and is attached to the edge of door 34 as at 38'. This door 34- is supported by a movable arm 35 and pivoted as at 4:) for arcuate movement between its open and closed positions. Also connected to arm 35 is a stop 36 coacting with block 37 and a return spring 42 connected between arm 35 and the alley foundation as at 43. As shown in FIGURE 3, rotating member 30 driven by belt 31 and camming surface 32 drive and guide the bowling ball through the bowling ball exit mechanism as will be described herein.

In operation, the bowling ball is moved by the bowling ball auger 29 from the pit as described hereinabove, to a position adjacent the bowling ball exit mechanism 10. Rotational movement is imparted to the bowling ball 26 by auger 2% as the auger moves the ball toward the bowling ball exit mechanism ill. As the bowling ball 26 is moved into the bowling ball exit mechanism 19 by auger 24 it contacts rotating member 39 and further rotational speed is imparted to the bowling ball 26. The ball rests under camming surface 32 and as the bowling ball 26 rotates, it is guided by the carnming surface 32 into contact with the flexible lip portion 38 of the blocking door member. Then, asthe ball is forced downwardly by the camming surface 32 the yieldable lip portion 38 is deformed (FIGURE 3) and the opening 52 is partially uncovered. As the ball progresses further into the opening 52 (FIGURE 4), door 34 pivots about point 40 and the rotational movement of ball as overcomes the force of the spring 42 and the ball door continues to open. The ball 26 is forced progressively further into the ball door opening 52 by the carnming surface 32, and the driving force of the rotational member 39. As the ball passes through the opening 52, the flexible lip member 38 remains in close contact with the ball thereby preventing any bowling pins from passing through the ball door opening. Ball 26 then passes on to the return rails 23 and it is driven therealong by the action of the rotating member so and the resilient action of the flexible lip 33 which tends to return to its original shape and thereby imparts acceleration to the ball as it passes down the return track. The ball door 34 then is urged to is closed position behind the ball 26 by spring 42, said closing imparting additional acceleration to the ball as it travels on the return rtack. As the ball door reaches its exit blocking position, stop 36 on pivotal arm 35 contacts stop 37 and the ball door is held in its exit blocking position awaiting the arrival of another bowling ball.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate the second embodiment of the ball door which may be used in the ball exit mechanism. This modification of the ball door may be used in place of door 34 in the first embodiment or may be used in a standard bowling alley pit having the pit board slanted to guide the balls to the ball exit mechanism in place of the bowling ball remover auger 20. A flexible curtain 59 is hinged as at '54 on either side of the ball opening 52. This flexible curtain oil is split down the center as at 53 and each side is connected to a rod as rods 56 and 58. These rods 56 and 58 have roller sections 57' and 57 respectively which sections are jointed end to end by flexible joints 55 and 55. These joints 55 permit yieldable downward and separating movements of the rods. The roller sections 57 of rod 56 must also rotate to drive a bowling ball as will be later described, and therefore the joints 55' between these rollers 57 must define a rigid drive joint while permitting the other movements. Rollers 57 on red 53 are mounted to rotate when driven by a rotating ball. The curtain sections are connected to these rods s and 58 between the roller sections 57 and 57 respectively by means of movable clips 51 secured to the curtain and the joints of the rollers. Rod 56 is driven as by a pulley and belt 61! so that the rod 56 rotates at high speed, rod 58 is rotatable on shaft 61. Both rods are resiliently supported as by springs 59. In operation, the bowling ball 26 rests over the ball opening 52 and is supported by curtain 56) and rods 56 and 58. As rod 56 rotates, the weight of the ball as forces the curtain 50 to unblock the opening 52 and the bowling ball 26 passes through the opening between rods 56 and 53, as shown in the dotted line position of FZGURE 7. As

shown in FIGURE 7, the central part of rod 58 is fully extended with the curtain depending therefrom. The rotation of rod 56 and its rollers 57 also causes rod 595 to tend to climb the surface of the bowling ball 26 and push the ball downwardly through the opening 52. Rods 56 and 58, with rollers 57 and 5'7, form a tight closure around the ball and thus keep bowling pins from passing through the ball exit opening.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG- URES 8 and 9 and comprises a bowling ball exit mechanism for use in the pit of a single bowling alley. The pit includes a pit cushion 22 and a pit conveyor 18 mounted for oscillation as by mounts 7%), two at the front and two at the rear. Power for this movement is derived from motor '72 whichdrives belt 74, which in turn drives crank shaft 76. Crank shaft 76 is mounted transversely in the pit in bearings '75 and is connected to two connecting rods 78, one at either side of the pit which oscillate the conveyor 18 as is well known in the art. Also connected to crank shaft 76 is belt 8i) which drives jack shaft 82. At the opposite end of jack shaft 82 pulley 83 drives belt 84 which belt 84 drives the ball rotating member 86 of the ball eidt mechanism. lack shaft 82 is supported by bearings and supports as at 81. Thus power is available to rotate a bowling ball at the ball exit mechanism which activates said exit as Will be described in detail hereinafter.

The operation of the ball exit mechanism is similar to the before mentioned embodiments. A bowling ball enters the pit, where it is moved by pit conveyor 18 and the centrally sloping shape thereof to engage rotating member as of the ball exit mechanism. Pins entering the pit are conveyed by the pit conveyor 18 under the pit cushion 22 to the rear of the pit adjacent pin elevator 24 where they are raised and returned to the alley as described hereinabove.

The ball exit mechanism consists of an opening 52 in the pit conveyor 18 and an opening blocking door 87 beneath said opening 52. The door 87 with a high friction surface 87, such as rubber, is mounted for sliding movement as with rollers 88 which are mounted to bracket 88 on the underside of door 87, the rollers traveling in tracks 89. This sliding movement is limited by forward stop 9% and rear stop 91 in track 89. Spring 92, mounted on arm 93 of door 8? and arm 94 of jack shaft support 81, resiliently biases door 87 to its exit blocking position. A metal door cowl 95 surrounds opening 52 and prevents ball wear on pit conveyor 13.

A roller assembly as best shown in FIGURE 9 is movably positioned beneath pit cushion 22, and includes an arm as pivotally mounted as at 97 to the rear of pit cushion 22. This arm 96 carries roller 8 which is rotatable on shaft 99, said roller 98 positioned at the lower front of the pit cushion 22. Also on arm 96 are stop Till? and spring tensioner 181 which control the movement of arm 96 as will be described.

In operation, when the ball 26 engages rotating member 36 the opposite surface of the ball engages roller 98 and the bottom surface of the ball engages the high friction surface 87 of door 87. The rotating movement of ball 26 drives door 87 open against the force of spring 92 and rollers 38 move rearwardly in tracks 89. The upper surface of the ball is guided downwardly by roller 9% and arm 96 moves rearwardly against spring tensioner 101 to maintain roller 98 in proper contact with the rotating ball. Roller 9% also allows the ball to rotate freely with a minimum of frictional slowing of the balls rotation. As the door 87 opens, the ball as passes through opening 52 and onto return tracks 28 as before described. When the ball no longer contacts roller 9%, arm% moves forward and stop 1% positions the roller assembly at its beginning position. Then as the ball passes through the opening 52, the door 87 follows the surface of the ball in closing the opening due to the action of spring 92. This prevents any pins from entering the ball exit mechanism and causing it to malfunction. When the ball passes completely through the opening 52 and is no longer in contact with door 37, the door 87 will be completely closed wtih roller 33 against stop 90, thereby blocking the opening 52 and awaiting another ball to repeat the opening cycle. The ball at this time is in contact with belt 84 and is further accelerated along return tracks 28 for a quick return to the bowlers end of the alley.

Thus, it has been shown how a ball exit mechanism utilizing only the rotational motion of a bowling ball will operate to rapidly and efiiciently remove bowling balls from the pit area and place these balls on the return track for quick return to the bowlers end of the alley.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball exit mechanism between the kickbacks of two adjacent bowling alley pits comprising: apertures in said kickbacks to allow a bowling ball to pass therethrough, rotating means to impart rotational motion to a ball so that points on the surface of the ball each have a tangential vector of force, an opening adjacent said rotating means, camming means above said opening to direct a ball downwardly through said opening, a return track beneath said opening to receive a ball, and spring-biased yieldable means blocking said opening and responsive to the presence of a rotating ball engaged therewith for unblocking said opening by moving along a path generally parallel to the tangential vector of force of a ball point contacting said yieldable means thereby permitting a ball to pass therethrough onto said return track, said yieldable means moving to a closed position in a direction toward the return track to impart force to a a ball traveling along the return track.

2. A bowling ball exit mechanism comprising: means to rotate a bowling ball so that points on the surface of the ball each have a tangential vector of force, an opening adjacent the ball rotating means, a ball return track adjacent said opening, camming means adjacent said open ing to direct the ball therethrough, and yieldable means blocking said opening and responsive to the presence of a rotating ball engaged therewith for unblocking said opening by moving along a path generally in the same direction as the tangential vector of force of a ball point contacting said yieldable means thereby permitting passage of a ball therethrough onto said return track.

3. A bowling ball exit mechanism comprising: a ball exit, and yieldable means blocking said exit and movable for unblocking said exit and permitting passage of the ball therethrough, said yieldable means including a flexible curtain covering said exit, said curtain conforming to a substantial portion of the periphery of the ball during the passage of the ball through said exit, spring-biased means mounting said curtain for movement to unblock the exit during passage of the ball therethrough, and power driven means mounting a portion of the curtain and engageable with a ball to move along the ball surface 4. A bowling ball exit mechanism used in cooperation with a bowling alley pit comprising: a ball exit opening, means to rotate a bowling ball positioned at said opening so that points on the ball surface each have a tangential vector of force, and yieldable means blocking said opening and responsive to the presence of a rotating bowling ball engaged therewith for unblocking said opening by moving along a path generally parallel to the tangential vector of force of a ball point contacting said yieldable means, thereby permitting passage of a ball therethrough.

5. In a bowling ball return system, a ball exit from the pit of a bowling alley, a door positioned in said exit, means mounting said door for movement to a position clearing said exit, yieldable means urging said door to an exit blocking position, rotation means located adjacent said exit and engageable with a ball to impart rotation thereto so that points on the surface of the ball each have a tangential vector of force, said door having a resiliently deformable section, and means urging said rotating ball against said door to deform said section to partially open said exit along a path generally in the same direction as the tangential vector of force of a ball point contacting said door and move said door bodily against the action of the yieldable means to further open the exit whereby the ball may pass therethrough, said door progressively closing as the ball leaves the exit with said resiliently deformable section following the contour of the ball to prevent passage of bowling pins through said exit.

6. In a bowling ball return system, a ball exit from the pit of a bowling alley, means blocking said exit including a pair of flexible sections of material having edges adjacent each other centrally of said exit, resilient means supporting said edges adjacent each other, including a flexible rotating rod engageable with a ball, power means for rotating said rod to cause the rod to move along the surface of a ball as the ball moves into the exit to have the maximum exit opening only sutficient to permit passage of a ball therethrough.

7. A bowling ball exit mechanism for use in a bowling alley pit having a pit conveyor and a pit cushion spaced above the pit conveyor to permit bowling pins but not bowling balls to pass between the cushion and the pit conveyor, comprising: a ball exit opening in front of the pit cushion, a movable door blocking said opening including a high friction surface thereon, a constantly rotating member adjacent the opening to rotate a bowling ball engaged therewith so that points on the surface of the ball have a tangential vector of force, roller means on the pit cushion coacting with said rotating member to direct a bowling ball through the opening, means mounting said door for opening movement along a path generally in the same direction as the tangential vector of force of a ball point contacting the door when a rotating ball engages the door, and resilient means biasing the door to block the ball exit opening, but permitting unblocking of the opening to allow a ball to pass therethrough.

References (listed by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 689,342 12/1901 Wolf 27347 2,600,918 6/1952 lohl 27349 2,765,172 10/ 1956 Zuercher et al 273-49 2,979,333 4/1961 Albrecht et a1 273-49 3,041,072 6/1962 Dowd et a1 273-43 X 3,068,006 12/ 1962 Holloway 27349 3,086,776 4/ 1963 Zuercher 27349 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

2. A BOWLING BALL EXIT MECHANISM COMPRISING: MEANS TO ROTATE A BOWLING BALL SO THAT POINTS ON THE SURFACE OF THE BALL EACH HAVING A TANGENTIAL VECTOR OF FORCE, AN OPENING ADJACENT THE BALL ROTATING MEANS, A BALL RETURN TRACK ADJACENT SAID OPENING, CAMMING MEANS ADJACENT SAID OPENING TO DIRECT THE BALL THERETHROUGH, AND YIELDABLE MEANS BLOCKING SAID OPENING AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A ROTATING BALL ENGAGED THEREWITH FOR UNBLOCKING SAID OPENING BY MOVING ALONG A PATH GENERALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE TANGENTIAL VECTOR OF FORCE OF A BALL POINT CONTACTING SAID YIELDABLE MEANS THEREBY PERMITTING PASSAGE OF A BALL THERETHROUGH ONTO SAID RETURN TRACK. 